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Is it true that Amtrak will ship your car for you? I thought about doing a cross country trip and the idea of having my car with me on the other side seemed lik

Is it true that Amtrak will ship your car for you? I thought about doing a cross country trip and the idea of having my car with me on the other side seemed like a solid plan.

db48x 4y ago
There is a car train, but it runs along the eastern seaboard. Useful if you live in New York and want to visit/move to Florida for the winter.
- dwater 4y ago
  To clarify, there is only one route in the US that has an auto train. It goes from Lorton, VA (about 30 minutes south of DC on I95) to Sanford, FL (a suburb of Orlando), and in the other direction. It has sleeper berths or regular coach class seats, leaves at 4pm and arrives at 9 am, and is generally full of "snowbird" retirees and families going to Disney.
  - pimlottc 4y ago
    I used to work for a shipping company, they did a lot of business shipping cars back and forth to Florida for baseball players doing spring training.
    - dvtrn 4y ago
      I've heard similar stories from a friend working at a major freight logistics broker here in Midwest, he also arranges the moving of parts for the pair of Boeing jets belongs to the New England Patriots NFL franchise. It's not something that sits at the front of your mind, but it makes total sense: logistics for professional sports teams must be a whole industry all on its own.
      - Qworg 4y ago
        When I worked for the Chicago Bears, I had the pleasure of driving the smallest of the moving trucks to training camps. A max length box truck. Followed by 3 semis _just of equipment_ - clothing, gear, weights that the college didn't have. It is a circus production every year.
  - brightball 4y ago
    Bummer. Seemed like a great option to travel coast to coast if it was available.
    - bombcar 4y ago
      You could arrange to have your car shipped separately, but the costs associated would be large enough that I'd just rent (unless you were moving).
  - throwaway892238 4y ago
    The fares for this route have historically been dirt cheap, something like $95 one way was common. Adding your car was like $250. I moved from Florida to DC this way with all my possessions crammed into my car. It was pretty fun when they still had a dining car, had some great conversations with other passengers.
dayvid 4y ago
I've done it. It was pleasant. It felt like a throwback, because they had a dinner service where you dined with three other guests (or two if you're with someone). If you have the opportunity, I'd recommend it.

Is it true that Amtrak will ship your car for you? I thought about doing a cross country trip and the idea of having my car with me on the other side seemed like a solid plan.

db48x 4y ago

There is a car train, but it runs along the eastern seaboard. Useful if you live in New York and want to visit/move to Florida for the winter.

dwater 4y ago
To clarify, there is only one route in the US that has an auto train. It goes from Lorton, VA (about 30 minutes south of DC on I95) to Sanford, FL (a suburb of Orlando), and in the other direction. It has sleeper berths or regular coach class seats, leaves at 4pm and arrives at 9 am, and is generally full of "snowbird" retirees and families going to Disney.
- pimlottc 4y ago
  I used to work for a shipping company, they did a lot of business shipping cars back and forth to Florida for baseball players doing spring training.
  - dvtrn 4y ago
    I've heard similar stories from a friend working at a major freight logistics broker here in Midwest, he also arranges the moving of parts for the pair of Boeing jets belongs to the New England Patriots NFL franchise. It's not something that sits at the front of your mind, but it makes total sense: logistics for professional sports teams must be a whole industry all on its own.
    - Qworg 4y ago
      When I worked for the Chicago Bears, I had the pleasure of driving the smallest of the moving trucks to training camps. A max length box truck. Followed by 3 semis _just of equipment_ - clothing, gear, weights that the college didn't have. It is a circus production every year.
- brightball 4y ago
  Bummer. Seemed like a great option to travel coast to coast if it was available.
  - bombcar 4y ago
    You could arrange to have your car shipped separately, but the costs associated would be large enough that I'd just rent (unless you were moving).
- throwaway892238 4y ago
  The fares for this route have historically been dirt cheap, something like $95 one way was common. Adding your car was like $250. I moved from Florida to DC this way with all my possessions crammed into my car. It was pretty fun when they still had a dining car, had some great conversations with other passengers.

dayvid 4y ago

I've done it. It was pleasant. It felt like a throwback, because they had a dinner service where you dined with three other guests (or two if you're with someone). If you have the opportunity, I'd recommend it.